Clean Power Plan to Be Repealed by Environmental Protection Agency

Here's how it could impact the environment.

On Tuesday, October 10, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that an Obama-era federal policy is up for repeal. Called the Clean Power Plan, the regulation aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The rollback of the rule is yet another setback in efforts to combat global warming.

“The war on coal is over,” EPA chief Scott Pruitt said at an event in Kentucky on October 9. “Tomorrow in Washington, DC, I will be signing a proposed rule to roll back the Clean Power Plan. No better place to make that announcement than Hazard, Kentucky.”

The Clean Power Plan was unveiled in 2015 under President Barack Obama and it gave states — 47 states, to be exact — individual carbon-curbing targets based on their 2012 power plant emissions and other variables. Each state would still be allowed to pick how they would meet their goals whether it be to add renewable power or part ways with coal-fired plants. The rule was never implemented, as it was temporarily blocked in 2016 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

It was approximated that coal and natural gas power plants generated roughly one-third of America’s carbon dioxide emission. But with the Clean Power Plan, these emissions were anticipated to fall by 32% by 2030, in comparison to 2005 rates. The EPA, under the Obama administration, also estimated the Clean Power Plan could prevent anywhere from 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths and 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks in children.

The Trump administration’s move to rescind the rule is far from surprising. During the start of his tenure as commander-in-chief, President Trump signed an executive order calling on Pruitt to repeal the Clean Power Plan. Last week, a 43-page leaked draft of the new administration’s proposal was obtained by news outlets. The purported proposal made the case that the previous administration stepped beyond their legal authority.

“The Obama administration pushed the bounds of their authority so far with the CPP that the Supreme Court issued a historic stay of the rule, preventing its devastating effects to be imposed on the American people while the rule is being challenged in court,” Pruitt said in a statement. “We are committed to righting the wrongs of the Obama administration by cleaning the regulatory slate. Any replacement rule will be done carefully, properly, and with humility, by listening to all those affected by the rule."

Pruitt’s proposal must undergo “a formal public-comment period before being finalized," the statement said. Coal industry supporters have already expressed their excitement over Pruitt's decision. The Washington Post noted that the decision to revoke the CPP could result in "months, if not years" of litigation.

The impact of this decision will vary by state. Some states have proactively taken steps to clean up their act — they are opting for coal alternatives like natural gas, wind and solar — and will meet the goals regardless. Others may miss the mark without the federal nudge. But overall, there may be hope yet. According to an analysis by the research firm Rhodium Group, reports The New York Times, the nation is “on track” to be 27 to 35% below 2005 levels by 2030 even if the Clean Power Plan is repealed.